Virginia speeding ticket

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ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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So I got the first speeding ticket of my life this weekend, got caught doing 73 in a 60 zone. It's a simple speeding ticket, no reckless driving or anything like that and the fine itself is pretty modest (under $80, although of course VA tacks on an extra $60 in "fees" :rolleyes: ). What I'm trying to figure out is if there's any way to mitigate the insurance rate hit. Going to court doesn't seem like an option since I got nailed in a jurisdiction that's several hours from where I live. Anyone familiar with the system in VA?
 
kranky

kranky

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Oct 9, 1999
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No personal experience, but I had a group of friends that got stopped for speeding in VA (they were in two cars one behind the other - the trooper pulled over the second car, the first car stopped when he saw the other one get pulled over, and the trooper wrote BOTH cars up.)

They paid some VA attorney a lot of money to go to court for them (they did not have to personally appear) and the tickets got knocked down to something where they didn't get points and avoided the insurance hit.

A cynical person might think that since they did not have to personally appear, the money might have got spread around to other, um, interested parties. But they were happy to pay the money to avoid the points.
 
9

96Firebird

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 2010
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Do you live in Virginia? A lot of time insurance companies have to go looking for out-of-state tickets.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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Yeah, the only real option I've heard of is hiring an attorney and maybe hoping to get traffic school in order to avoid points. Getting a lawyer for a simple ticket seems a little excessive though. Supposedly a first time speeding ticket won't affect your insurance rates that much but some people disagree.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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So the good news appears to be accurate:

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/About-MVA/INFO/26100/26100-22T.htm

If you received a conviction out-of-state, that state is obligated under the terms of the Driver License Compact (DLC) to notify the MVA. Upon receipt of the information, the MVA will update your driver record.

For many types of violations, the MVA will only record the conviction information on your Maryland driver record and will not assess points. However, if you have been convicted of one of the serious violations identified in Article IV of the Driver’s License Compact, the MVA will record both the conviction information and the points associated with it.
Click to expand...

Regular old speeding isn't considered a "serious violation" which is good. Still not sure how this will affect my insurance rates though.
 
EagleKeeper

EagleKeeper

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Oct 30, 2000
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ichy said:
That's good to hear. I've got a 12 year long clean driving record so I'm hoping that helps.
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Contact the court in advance and ask if you take a driving class, can the ticket be adjusted.
If yes; find out what is needed to be done and the time frame.
 
Markbnj

Markbnj

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Sep 16, 2005
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Dispute the ticket and set a court date. A couple of weeks before the court date call and request a new one. Make sure you use a good excuse, like, you have to travel for business, or Vladimir Putin is in urgent need of your council. Continue to request new court dates as long as they let you get away with it. With any luck a year or so goes by and the trooper who wrote the ticket can't make it to court when you ultimately do show up.
 
SP33Demon

SP33Demon

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Jun 22, 2001
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For $300, an attorney will get it knocked down or dismissed. Someone I know that just got a reckless in Richmond had it reduced to normal speeding and the attorney said that it is usually dismissed, but the judge may have been having a shitty day. Oh, and my friend also took the VA driving course as well before the court date.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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Markbnj said:
With any luck a year or so goes by and the trooper who wrote the ticket can't make it to court when you ultimately do show up.
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I live about a four hour drive away (assuming no awful DC area traffic) from where I'd have to show up in court.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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SP33Demon said:
For $300, an attorney will get it knocked down or dismissed. Someone I know that just got a reckless in Richmond had it reduced to normal speeding and the attorney said that it is usually dismissed, but the judge may have been having a shitty day. Oh, and my friend also took the VA driving course as well before the court date.
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For a regular old speeding ticket (that won't even add points to my license because of the out of state situation) paying $300 for a lawyer probably isn't worth it.
 
SP33Demon

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
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ichy said:
For a regular old speeding ticket (that won't even add points to my license because of the out of state situation) paying $300 for a lawyer probably isn't worth it.
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Understand that it's like a good ole boys network in many areas of rural VA. If you get a well known lawyer, there's a 90% chance you will get that normal speeding ticket knocked down to no points and you just pay the fine. It could even get dismissed as well if the lawyer is good enough.

If it was going to raise your insurance (the points), then it's worth it long run. If not, then no big deal.
 
K

Keeper

Senior member
Mar 9, 2005
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Can ONLY speak for W Virginia. HERE is something to think about though.
Me too... ONE speeding ticket in my life. W.V.
Spoke to the officer. He CUT me a break. Wrote me up for 79. If it was 80.... HAVE to appear. Something about reckless driving. As he handed the $185 dollar ticket through the window he mentioned about pleading guilty NYS will probably NEVER hear about this. Fast forward.
The DAY the check/guilty plea had to be postmarked, I called the Magistrate.
Strike one. He answers his own phone.
"Sure I can fight it. My LEGAL right etc". He mentioned if I plead guilty, why they are SO darn busy, odds are they will NEVER get to contact NYS and "register" this ticket.
I ask "What If I fight and lose?"
His answer, "before I leave his court he personally calls NYS."

Here's your check.

4 years later that ticket has NEVER appeared on my abstract.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
6,940
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Re: points & interstate reporting, this will go on my Maryland driving record. Because of how Maryland implements the Driver's License Compact I won't get any points on my license though.

I don't have to have points on my license for the insurance company to jack up my rate, but the question is how much will a single minor ticket affect my insurance rates? A couple of people have said they'll go up maybe $50 or $60 per year for the next couple of years. If that's the case then getting a lawyer or going through traffic school isn't worth it.
 
K

Keeper

Senior member
Mar 9, 2005
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ichy said:
Re: points & interstate reporting, this will go on my Maryland driving record. Because of how Maryland implements the Driver's License Compact I won't get any points on my license though.

I don't have to have points on my license for the insurance company to jack up my rate, but the question is how much will a single minor ticket affect my insurance rates? A couple of people have said they'll go up maybe $50 or $60 per year for the next couple of years. If that's the case then getting a lawyer or going through traffic school isn't worth it.
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50 to 60 for a couple of years may NOT be worth a lawyer fee.
Just sayin. Sucks about the Maryland reporting.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
6,940
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IF the rate change is only $50 or so then it's definitely not worth a lawyer.

I'm actually lucky re: Maryland Reporting. For most states they report infractions and transfer points. I'd prefer not to have it on my record at all but no points makes it not as bad.

This might be a little better if I were a VA resident because they let you accumulate "good" points (one point for each year of clean driving, maximum of five points) so if I lived in VA I'd still be up by one. Insurance companies don't necessarily follow a state's point system though.
 
shortylickens

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
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ichy said:
So I got the first speeding ticket of my life this weekend, got caught doing 73 in a 60 zone. It's a simple speeding ticket, no reckless driving or anything like that and the fine itself is pretty modest (under $80, although of course VA tacks on an extra $60 in "fees" :rolleyes: ). What I'm trying to figure out is if there's any way to mitigate the insurance rate hit. Going to court doesn't seem like an option since I got nailed in a jurisdiction that's several hours from where I live. Anyone familiar with the system in VA?
Click to expand...

The ticket itself is considered public record with regards to insurance companies. Pay the fine or not, they will always know. If you are really worried about the insurance hit, get yourself a lawyer. A decent one can probably kill everything, but he'll charge several hundred to take care of you.
 
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